Artificial Insemination in Israel: In Brief

Artificial Insemination in Israel: In Brief

In 2016, the first child conceived by artificial insemination, celebrated his 38th birthday. In vitro fertilization method is no longer a novelty for modern medicine. In almost every country there are medical centers performing this procedure.

But medicine is evolving, and in Israel medicine demonstrates outstanding achievements. “Aldor”, Professor Joseph Itskovich’s group, due to which IVF in Israel was invented at first, still continues to surprise the world community with unique innovative developments.

The first development connected with artificial insemination technology was microscopic manipulationICSI – Intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection, the method of implanting sperm into oocyte cytoplasmic environment. Research team Aldor offered this method for men which cannot impregnate their wives. Scientists developed ICSI for men with poor quality of sperm. ICSI technology is also relevant if the number of active spermatozoids is low. The group of Professor Joseph Itskovich proposed to extract sperm from an ejaculate. If for some reason it is impossible, they extract semen surgically. Next, an embryologist studying viability and motility, selects the most viable and healthy male germ cells and, using a microneedle, introduces sperm into cytoplasmic environment of an ovum ready for fertilization.

Israeli scientists have proposed a number of additional diagnostic procedures to be carried out immediately prior to IVF process. They proposed to use the method of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (abbreviation – PGD). It allows one to analyze the specific embryo on chromosomal abnormalities. This diagnostic method is allowed to make a breakthrough in the field of in vitro fertilization. For now, each embryo can be accurately studied before placing it into a woman’s uterus. Now doctors participating in IVF procedures, can guarantee a childless couple that their unborn child will be healthy.

This method is especially important for those couples where one of spouses is a carrier of hereditary genetic diseases. Three embryos are taken to carry PGA.

At this stage, removal of an embryo for research is completely safe as all cells are interchangeable, ie, removing one cell for investigation has no effect on further development of the embryo.

Another innovative discovery of Israeli scientists is a unique micromanipulational procedure – assisted hatching. Assisted hatching is when a specialist carefully makes an incision on the outer shell of a embryo fragment for its better “bonding” to the uterine cavity. This procedure will produce a successful IVF for women after 40.

In addition to the above described innovative methods, Israeli scientists recently proposed a technology of preventing ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome during IVF.According to statistics, this syndrome occurs with every second woman as a consequence of taking lots of hormones. Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome is manifested in a significant increase of female ovaries. Israeli scientists have proposed to deal with this syndrome through the use of pharmacological agents, as well as by selecting for each woman an individual dosage of hormonal medicaments.